COLUMBUS, Ohio — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.
Individuals who are immunocompromised can receive a third coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine shot, Ohio Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff announced on Friday.
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During a press briefing, Dr. Vanderhoff -- who will take over as the Ohio Department of Health Director on Monday -- said that the recommendation applies to those who have received the two-shot regimen of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. At this time, an additional shot of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not recommended.
Dr. Vanderhoff said that an additional shot from those who are immunocompromised -- which he said made up approximately three percent of the country's population -- would be helpful in boosting the immune systems of those who could be especially susceptible to COVID-19. The news comes amid rising concerns regarding the Delta Variant of COVID-19, which is considered more contagious than the original COVID-19 strain and has led to a rise in coronavirus cases throughout the country.
Dr. Vanderhoff also stressed that those who are otherwise healthy do not need a third COVID-19 shot and that the two-shot regimen has remained effective in preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death from the coronavirus. Last week, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine revealed that 98 percent of the state's COVID-19-related hospitalizations have been unvaccinated patients.
"No fact better illustrates how powerful the vaccines are than by looking at the people who have been in our hospitals for COVID since Jan. 1 of this year, when the vaccine first really started to have a big impact," DeWine said last week.